Newsom Family

William Newsom, planter, of James City, later Surry Co., VA was possibly the grandson of Robert Newsom of Newsom Hall, Lancashire, England. Family tradition is that he came to America from Dublin, Ireland. It is quite possible that he is the "William Neesum" who came to Virginia aboard the George in 1635. In 1636 he was granted 550 acres of land in the "County of James City toward Sunken Marsh" for the transportion of 11 persons to Virginia, including two of his wives, Penelope Ramsay and Sarah Fisher.

Patent, Webb, Stephen. grantee. 2 March 1638. Location: James City County. Description: 250 acres lying near the head of Sunken Marsh. East upon the land of Wm. Nusam. "This patt. is renewed by Stephen Webb and another former patt. of the 18th Septr. 1636 put into it and one hundred acres of land more added to them." Source: Land Office Patents No. 1, 1623-1643 (v.1 & 2), p. 623 (Reel 1).

Patent, Coleman, Richard. grantee. 6 May 1651. Location: County location not given. Description: 320 acres upon the north side of Rappahanock. Beg.g &c. standg. upon the side of a marsh neare the land of Wm. Nusum. Source: Land Office Patents No. 2, 1643-1651, p. 313 (Reel 2).

Second Generation

Children of William Newsom and probably Gertrude
William Newsom (1648-1691) m. Mrs. Anne Sheppard Hart (abt. 1645-1710/11), (widow of Thomas Hart and d/o Maj. Robert Sheppard and his wife Elizabeth Spencer who was the daughter of William Spencer who was born about 1560 "Ancient Planter" who arrived with the first expedition and landed at what was to be Jamestown VA on May 13th 1607 with 105 settlers and was one of 38 to survive the first expedition, and his wife Alice)
Alice Newsom (abt. 1650-1670/75) m. Roger Rawlings

Patent, Newsom, Thomas. grantee. 9 July 1724. Location: Isle of Wight County. Description: 250 acres on the north side, of the Hernett Swamp; on the north side of Nottaway River. Source: Land Office Patents No. 12, 1724-1726, p. 78 (Reel 11).

Patent, Newsom, Thomas. grantee. 28 September 1732. Location: Isle of Wight County. Description: 280 acres on the south side of Nottaway River. Beg.g &c. on the north side of the Three Creeks, a corner of Stephen Vaughan's land. Source: Land Office Patents No. 14, 1728-1732 (pt.1 & 2), p. 525 (Reel 11).

Patent, Newsom, Sampson. grantee. 12 January 1746. Location: Isle of Wight County. Description: 165 acres on the south side of Nottaway River. Beg.g &c. by the side of the north prong of the Hornet Swamp, in the county line. Source: Land Office Patents No. 25, 1745-1747, p. 383 (Reel 23).

Patent, Newsom, Solomon. grantee. 1 June 1750. Location: Isle of Wight County. Description: 225 acres on the south side of the Poplar Swamp. Be.g &c. on the north side of the Reedy Branch in John Jones's line. Source: Land Office Patents No. 29, 1749-1751 (v.1 & 2 p.1-532), p. 227 (Reel 27).

The Robert Johnson line that Solomon Newsom married into (Martha Matthews daughter of Martha Johnson and Hugh Matthews) is the Johnson line that President Lyndon Baines Johnson takes direct descent from.

*William's death date is given incorrectly in three different ways in published and on-line sources. The Forsyth Co. Cemetery records book has 18 Apr 1826, several genealogies on line show it as 1867, and the published book of death notices from the People's Press refers to a William Newsom who died April 20, 1875. His tombstone reads Apr 18, 1876. (Thank you, Nancy Henderson!)

**Thanks to Ann Holladay for identifying Nancy Reeve, who was the daughter of William Reeve.

Jacob Newsom, Revolutionary War Pension Application - "That he was born about the year 1762 in South Hampton County, VA where he resided until he was about the age of twenty eight years when he removed to the County of Halifax in the State of NC, where he resided five years from thence he moved to Raleigh & then to Guilford County where he has lived for thirty six years; that he knows of no record of his age: That he never received any discharge from Service except parol dismissions by his Officers that he Knows of no person by whom he can prove his actual services except Captain Hartwell Barham, whose Statement is hereto appended and that said Barham from bodily infirmity is unable to attend Court and that he has no documentory evidence of his Service. That he is Known in his Neighbourhood as to his Viracity of James Nelson, Esq., Reverend Henry Tatum, Thomas Sanders & Charles Benbow, among many others." -- The North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal, Volume XV, No. 1, February 1989.

We think Henry age 13 in 1860 is probably the Henry Newsome (1847-1888) who married Rosa Grubbs (1847-1930) in 1869. Both are buried in Clemmons Baptist cemetery, Forsyth Co. NC. Was he the child of William Newsom and Nancy Sanders, and thus the John H. Sanders age 3 in 1850?

Thomas Turner Ledford (1849-1903), buried Waughtown, was probably the son of William Newsom and Sally Ledford. He married Caroline L.R. Fisher, d/o Robert Fisher and Rachel Collins, in 1872.

Note: Update September 16, 2005: From Ada McBride's email dated August 15, 2005 regarding William Newsom: "His 1st wife was Elizabeth Ledford. Henrietta Brendle was his 2nd wife and she had several children out of wedlock. John Henry Newsom is the son of William Newsom and Nancy Sanders. John Henry Newsom is my great-grandfather. On John Henry and Rosanna Grubb's marriage certificate, William Newsom and Nancy Sanders are listed as his parents. J. Henry and Rosa Grubb Newsom are buried at Clemmons First Baptist Church Cemetery, Clemmons, NC. Rosanna " Rosa " Grubb's parents are George Grubb and Rosanna Michael."
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Children of Hartwell B.Newsom and 4) Catherine Becker
Mahala Newsom (although Mahala is named "Newsom" in census record, she is proabably Catherine's from a previous marriage. A marriage license issued in Craig Co., VA in 1857 names Hartwell Newsume, age 56, widowed, white, born in Guilford Co., NC

corrections to Hartwell Newsom's information, August 4th and 7th, 2003

Previously we stated that Hartwell Newsome's second wife was Mary Cook or Mary Cork, and that she was the mother of four children, William, Mary, Hartwell and Washington. We were told by another Newsome researcher that this is incorrect, and that Elizabeth Gray was mother of these children.

Mary Newsome Doub's parentage is clear. Her death certificate names her parents as Hart Newsome and Betty Gray. William appears to be the son of Hartwell and Mary Cork, as indicated above.

We also stated that Elizabeth Gray's father was Joseph Gray. Joseph Gray was bondsman for her marriage in 1820 (Guilford Co. NC) but we do not have any proof that he was her father.

Narcissa's name was given to us originally as Gray, but we have recently been told that her death certificate gives her maiden name as Watts.

In 1850, Hartwell and Narcissa are living in Botetourt Co. VA with Sarah T. age 5 and John M. age 2. Elizabeth Newsom age 46 is living with Elijah and Lucy (Newsom) Doub in Forsyth Co. NC, and is thought to be Lucy's mother Elizabeth Gray Newsom; i.e. she is still living but Hartwell is now living with, presumably married to, another woman. Can anyone document this with court records, or a marriage record for Narcissa? In the same household is 19 year old William Cork.

We now think that the Elizabeth Newsom (1804-1861) buried at Doub's Chapel Methodist in Forsyth County may be Elizabeth Gray Newsom rather than the wife of Hartwell's brother William Newsome, whose wife Elizabeth is listed as age 48 in 1850 and 58 in 1860. Can anyone confirm this?